Shearing

Now that there is relief from the heat I am shearing again. Not all the sheep are so good about standing on the shearing stand, but Sunshine's boy is happy. I have learned not to let the Cormo-BFL crosses wool get so long that it wraps around the drums in the carder. I also have to hand pick the fiber before carding, as the commercial picker makes neps. There is a learning curve with every fiber that you grow, how to breed a good fleece that is all usuable and little skirting ( skirtings are thrown away).  One that is easily shorn (not a lot of wrinkled skin, wrinkles slow you down), not to much dark grease so that it can easily be washed, picked and carded and will be a delight to spin into a yarn that can be knit or woven into clothing that will reflect all the work that the sheep and shepherd have put into it for a year of their life.